EGYPTIAN AND ARAB ORGAN TRAFFICKERS ARRESTED IN HELWAN

[Winged Isis]

EGYPTIAN AND ARAB ORGAN TRAFFICKERS ARRESTED IN HELWAN
The duo, referred to by authorities as 'Mohamed R.' and 'Abullah N.' are said to have conducted business via a secret Facebook group.

CAIROSCENE TEAM
25/02/2018 14:48

Earlier this Saturday, authorities from the Ministry of Interior apprehended two individuals, one of which has been revealed to be an unspecified Arab national, while in the act of finalizing an organ trafficking deal in Helwan. The pair conducted their shady dealings via a Facebook group titled Kidney Donors with Material Compensation using aliases to conduct business with people from around the Arab world interested in buying and/or selling human organs, as reported by Egypt Today.

According to statements issued by the Ministry of Interior, the pair’s modus operandi on the Facebook group would be to purchase kidneys for around US $8,000 and sell them for US $11,000, divvying up the profits amongst each other. The pair were identified by several governmental authorities and organizations as 'Mohammed R', an unemployed 33-year old Helwan local and 'Abdullah N', an Arab national currently based in Europe. Authorities were able to catch Mohammed along with three other individuals with Arab nationalities, in possession of medical documents, blood pictures, analyses and radiographs.

Egypt has been vehemently combating the unsettling rise of both human and organ trafficking for quite some time now. With the country's well-documented economic struggles, more people are turning to organ trade is a way to garner necessary funds, especially among the African immigrant demographic in Egypt. As it stands, Egypt is still in its five-year work plan against human trafficking; having started in October of 2016 to raise awareness about the issue and work on boosting the capabilities of relevant organizations in Egypt. In addition, multiple laws and penalties have been put in effect to try and stifle the phenomenon to limited success.


http://cairoscene.com/Buzz/organ-traffickers-helwan